Strike Craft

Strike craft are a class of small spacecraft primarily intended for ground attack and fleet attack missions. They are operated by every FTL-capable society, and primitive versions are operated by advanced pre-FTL societies. They are extremely small compared to warships, with small crews and extreme maneuverability. Strike craft are not equipped with FTL drives, instead relying on a larger ship, station, or other base for sustainment and transport. Their ability to fly close to hostile targets allows them to easily bypass shields, targeting weak points that would otherwise be missed by longer-range fire. In addition, their onboard fuel means they almost always have a longer effective range than shipborne weapons, allowing their home base to remain out of range of enemy fire while the strike craft engage. However, they are extremely vulnerable to point-defense, and often rely on swarm tactics to reach their targets. Outside of direct fleet actions, strike craft are capable of scouting and patrolling vast distances within star systems. Strike craft are also used in ground operations to target enemy strong points, as they are far cheaper and simpler to operate in-atmosphere compared to space warships. Most strike craft doctrine has individual flights operate in groups, ranging from pairs to flights of five.

Length

Usually 15-30m

Complement / Crew

1-5 crew